What passed? What didn't?

OLYMPIA – Gov. Jay Inslee said lawmakers delivered on his call to take “big, bold, action,” after the 60-day legislative session closed March 10, working until the midnight deadline to pass a $64.1 billion supplemental state budget.

In addition to boosting spending by $5 billion in the current biennium, legislators approved the first major transportation funding package since 2015.

Here’s what passed:

Longterm care

One of the earliest actions was to halt the state’s long-term care benefit program by 18-months. Both Democrats and Republicans argued the program was not solvent with more than 473,000 residents opting out of the program. Additionally, lawmakers said the timing of a new payroll tax was not ideal with skyrocketing inflation. Inslee signed the measure into law in January to delay the collection of the tax until July 2023.

Gun magazines

Legislators approved a bill prohibiting the manufacture, sale and distribution of gun magazines with a capacity of more than 10 rounds of ammunition. The measure requested by Democratic Attorney General Bob Ferguson, makes Washington the 10th state to regulate magazine capacity. Additionally, a bill was passed prohibiting weapons at ballot counting sites and school board meetings. The same legislation bans the open carry of firearms at local government meetings and election-related facilities. Those with concealed pistol licenses are exempt.

Police reform

Lawmakers last year passed more than a dozen police accountability measures. Legislators argued the reforms had unintended consequences on police agencies, including restricting use of less-than-lethal munitions and the ability to respond to non-criminal, community caretaking matters, such as using force to bring people in crisis to get mental health help. Bills passed this year addressed some of these issues, clarifying that officers may use .50 caliber less-than-lethal rounds, and can use reasonable force to take someone in crisis into custody. The bills define when police can use reasonable force. An additional bill proposing the loosening of restrictions on vehicular pursuit, stalled in the Senate on the final day of session.

Move Ahead

The 16-year plan billed as the greenest transportation package in state history is headed to the governor’s desk for signing. The nearly $17 billion package invests in transit projects including the building of new hybrid electric ferries, funding more walking and biking corridors, replacing the Interstate 5 bridge at the Oregon border and replacing fish passage culverts. After scrapping a controversial 6-cent-per-gallon fuel export tax, the state will fund the package with revenue from the new cap-and-trade program, federal money, a one-time transfer of $2 billion from the state operating budget surplus and increases in vehicle and driver licensing fees.

The budget

Squeezing in before midnight in the final hours of the session, Democrats pushed through a $5 billion increase in the current two-year budget. The additional funds will be invested in programs to increase the number of school counselors and nurses, pay raises for state employees, increase rates for childcare providers and provide rental assistance.

Here’s what didn’t pass:

Election ‘lies’

At the beginning of the session, Inslee pushed for making it illegal for elected officials or candidates to lie about election outcomes if statements resulted in violence. The legislation passed a Senate committee but did not receive a floor vote.

Emergency powers

Since February of 2020, Inslee has maintained a self-proclaimed state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Democrats said there was no time to have a debate when other issues were pending.

Tax relief

With billions in state surplus revenue, Republicans argued for significant tax cuts. Those measures included proposing cutting the state sales tax by 1% and pausing the gas tax for a year.

Within the House budget, Democrats included a proposed sales tax holiday in which goods and services would be sales-tax exempt during Labor Day weekend. Those efforts failed to receive hearings.